The plan calls for possible apartment-style student housing on the southeast corner of Tenth and Rogers streets, as well as on the north side of Wilkes Boulevard, between Eighth and Range Line streets.

To determine the plan, the Simon Oswald Associates architectural firm held focus groups, which included students, staff, faculty members and neighborhood residents.

Residents and commission members alike exhibited satisfaction with the project, especially the lack of any new surface parking space.

“We’re pretty supportive of the direction of this plan,” said John Clark, president of the North-Central Columbia Neighborhood Association. “It doesn’t go backwards by creating more surface parking.”

The commission agreed that the plan would help with efforts to revitalize the area.

This plan is an updated version of the 1997 master plan, approved by the City Council in 1998. The former plan showed possible buildings on land east of Range Line Street and south of Wilkes Boulevard, but north of the COLT Railroad. However, indications are that the college does not anticipate being able to obtain this land, necessitating the revision.

The updated plan also calls for a potential parking garage on the east side of Range Line Street, as well as playing fields and additional buildings.

In other business, the commission recommended to approve two preliminary plats of major subdivisions.

In a unanimous vote, it approved the plat of the Greenbriar Village subdivision. The plat would extend the length of Greenbriar Drive cul-de-sac, which is already longer than the maximum available length.

Later, the commission approved the plat of the Trail Ridge subdivision by a 7-2 vote.

The plat was approved on the condition that a connector street be built through the plat in addition to the two cul-de-sacs already proposed. This would be considered for approval in a future commission meeting.